Answer is: D. The attractive force that the neutrons in the nuclei of C-14 atoms generate is not strong enough to overcome the repulsive force that the protons generate.
Atoms are made of protons (positive charge), neutrons (neutral charge) and electrons (negative charge).
Atomic number (Z) of atom ¹⁴C is 6, it means it has 6 protons and 6 electrons, because atom has neutral charge.
Mass number (sum of protons and neutrons) of atom ¹⁴C is 14, it means it has 8 neutrons in the nucleus of the atom.
n(p⁺) = 6.
n(e⁻) = 6.
n(n°) = 14 - 6.
n(n°) = 8; number of neutrons in carbon atom ¹⁴C.
The best choice which explains why carbon-14 are unstable is that the attractive force that the neutrons in the nuclei of C-14 atoms generate is not strong enough.
Isotopes are those molecules which have same atomic number but different atomic masses.
C-14 is one of the isotope of carbon and number of protons and electrons in the carbon-14 atom is same and equal to 6 as its atomic number is 6. Atomic mass is the sum of number of protons and neutrons, given mass of Carbon is 14 so number of neutrons is:
Neutrons = 14 - 6 = 8
So, the attractive force that the neutrons in the nuclei of C-14 atoms generate is not strong enough to overcome the repulsive force that the protons generate as a result of which neutron eliminate electron in the form of beta rays.
Hence attractive force that the neutrons in the nuclei of C-14 atoms generate is not strong enough.
To know more about isotopes, visit the below link:
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